It's Unfortunate We Came Together Like This
by gunner - mrs. gubler
Summary: What are the odds of falling for an FBI member, who happens to be victimized in a kidnapping you're victimized into also? What are the odds of him falling for you? Well, Dr. Spencer Reid has yet again been kidnapped. Along with him is an ordinary girl named Lucy Hayes, who the kidnapper mistook to be JJ. Romance sparks, but along with that, secrets unfold. Will it effect them?
1. Chapter 1

**Here's the first chapter to Unfortunate! The story overall is rough and short, and I'm still working out silly little kinks, but I believe it looks decent enough to throw on out there. It's in Lucy Hayes, an OC, point of view. I do not own any CM characters. This takes on the future, way after season 9, and is all made up (so if any of this jazz happens to be on the show in the next few seasons, it wasn't me). Apologies for the long intro, but here it is!**

**Enjoy, and be sure to review!**

* * *

What are the odds of falling for an FBI member, who happens to be victimized in a kidnapping you're victimized into also? What are the odds of him feeling the same way? Well, I'm stuck in a bit of a problem.

This guy, an intelligent, silly, charming guy, is named Dr. Spencer Reid, and I'm average, quirky, awkward Miss Lucy Hayes. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but we must fit like a puzzle piece. And we connect in more than one ways.

* * *

A pitiful holler escapes the maw of a young, scrawny-yet-strong male as he is repeatedly smacked in the jaw with the butt of a pistol. His dark eyes are pressed shut, and his jaw clenched. He is obviously in pain, and I feel terrible for just sitting here helplessly while he gets the shit knocked out of him.

"Where are the rest?" The torturer hollers into the victim's face. He stares at him, huffing and puffing like he might explode at any minute.

"I don't know what you mean." The guy gasps weakly, his head lolling to the right a bit. The man with the gun just continues to hit him, one side of the face to the next, leaving bruises and splitting into his face.

"You know what I mean. Don't play that game, Reid!" He snaps, crouching down to the weakened male, Reid, who is strapped into an old wooden chair. He grabs either side of his chin with a single hand, jerking him to meet eyes. The armed man stares at him, waiting for Reid to meet his eyes. But the poor guy can't, because he's drifting in and out of consciousness without his will.

"How do you-" Reid is cut off by the man slamming his elbow to Reid's temple. Reid jerks to the left, gasping for the air he can't seem to find.

"You know how! You were the one who tracked me down and captured me, along with your little pals back at the place you work." He punches Reid again. "And that little bitch of yours over there was one of your teammates, too!" He screamed into Reid's face.

"Wh-" Reid stops his chatter to turn to me, his chocolate eyes meeting mine. "I don't know her, she-" He pauses to breath, "isn't with me."

"What the hell do you mean?!" The man stands straight, turns to me, and storms over. He has an awkward walk, like one leg is shorter than the other. He grabs me by my long hair and yanks me up. The handcuffs restraining me to the wall jingle, and I have to stay hunched over to keep him from yanking my hands out of my body. "She is that blonde you worked with. She was the one who held me at gunpoint while you negotiated!"

"No..." Reid mumbles, trying to keep his focus on me. I can tell that he's struggling to keep awake, after all the blows he was given. "She's not with me. I don't even know her."

"You useless pile of sh-t!" The man yells. "Stop protecting her." He walks away from me to a table nearby with knives and guns of all types. He grabs something, opens the chamber to the gun, and puts whatever it is into the gun. Spinning the chamber, he clicks it in place and walks back to me. "You tell me who this is or I'll put a bullet in her head."

"Wait-"

_Click._

"I don't-"

_Click.  
_

I pant heavily, struggling against his grip around my neck, pressing me to the barrel of the gun. Reid fights the ropes restraining him, but it too weak to do much. He squirms and flails about, repeatedly mumbling, "Wait, wait!"

_Click._

"Stop. Stop!" Reid screams, pulling against the restraints. The rope leaves burns on his arms from him wiggling too much.

"Two last chambers in this gun. Tell me now, or there's a fifty percent chance she's on the floor."

"Okay!" His strained voice shows he's given up. "Her name is Heidi Larson." He pants, with a saddened look on his face. He's a good damn actor, I'll give it to him. I match the depressed look, trying to fit my role.

"Reid..." I whisper.

He doesn't respond.

The man points the gun to a target nearby, shoots, and there's a loud bang. Reid saved me. I let out a strangled sigh of relief, glancing at him only for a second to see the corners of his lips tip up briefly.

"Heidi, Heidi, Heidi. I should put a bullet in you the same way you did to me. Remember shooting my fucking arm? Yeah? Well, I escaped the hospital, and here I am now, with you and your bitch of a friend with me." He pauses to look at Reid. "Or maybe I should put a bullet in you. Either way, it's a win-win for me. Or, maybe I can put one in both of your skulls?"

With a devious grin, he unhooks the chains holding me to the wall and holds the handcuffs on my wrists behind my back. He leads me to a chair close next to dark-haired Reid and seats me into it. He pushes my shoulder against Reid's and limps back to his table. The deranged man mumbles to himself.

"I'm sorry," Reid tells me with a stressed and unfortunate look on his face. His eyes read that he really does feel sorry.

"Don't worry, we'll be...fine." I whisper back, trying to believe myself. He purses his lips, looking down to the floor to avoid my gaze. I can feel butterflies squirming through my gut, and I tense up to try to ignore them. I can't be falling in love when we're about to be killed!

He only looks back up when he notices that I'm crying. Tears slide down my cheeks and land elegantly on the concrete floor of the dim room. He meets my eyes again and I can see that his are misting also. I lean slightly on him, already comfortable with him even though we've only just met. But what's to worry when we're both gonna die within a minute?

Reid places his head on mine lightly, and I rest on his shoulder with a tiny sniffle.

"I'm sorry," He repeats.

The crazed man interrupts us with his loud grumbling. I lift my head, and we both look in his direction.

The lunatic grabs a different handgun, throws a couple bullets into it, and walks back to us. "You brought this on yourselves." He cocks the gun, aims it to Reid's head, and sighs. "This bullet should go right through you and her, but if not, I've got my backup. She will be dead with you no matter what, don't you worry." And with an evil smirk, he put his index finger on the trigger.

_Bang._


	2. Chapter 2

"Move, move, move!" I hear voices of random people, men and women, hollering at each other to hurry and get the kidnapper. It's only then that I open my eyes.

I'm leaning close to Reid, to the point where our sides are pressed together. I see him gazing around, looking as confused as I feel. I breathe heavily, glance at him, and stare at the commotion around us.

Somebody, an dark-skinned male wearing an FBI vest props himself in front of us, examining Reid's face and inspecting everything on us both. "Damn, he f-cked you up good." He mutters, slicing through the ropes with a pocketknife. Someone else breaks the handcuffs around my wrists.

"Morgan, you don't know how glad I am to see you." Reid says with exhaustion. The tall man, Morgan, hoists Reid to his feet, and I stand up with them, watching their conversation.

"Yeah, Spencer, you look fine. You ain't that swollen, I don't think. You will be soon, though."

"Spencer Reid," I mumble under my breath. Morgan laughs a bit, and I guess they both heard me.

"That's him. And I'm Derek Morgan." The man introduces. I smile slightly, raising both brows with a nod.

"I'm terribly sorry for dragging you into this. I can't believe he held such a grudge. Now, the big question is, what's really your name?" Reid asks. His voice is still faint and hoarse, but he already seems smoother.

"Lucy. Lucy Hayes. And at least we weren't taken out together before your friends here stormed in." I answer, hushed.

"Ah, now, what a cute thing to say to ol' Reid." Morgan chuckles. "You two were definitely cuddly when we barged in."

I could feel myself reddening when Morgan says how cozy we were together. I look down at my feet, biting the inside of my cheek. I rock back and forth on my feet, pursing my lips embarrassingly.

"Shut up-" Reid coughs, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Reid begins to say something else, but he's cut off my his own strangled coughing. Blood dribbles from his mouth and he's forced to crouch down while he continues to spit blood onto the paved floor.

"Wh-" I hesitantly place a hand on his arm, my eyes wide with confusion.

I stare up at Morgan, who screams, "Get that ambulance here quicker!"

The S.W.A.T. team gathers, dragging me away from Reid. I scramble to pull away from the man leading me out, but I'm no match to him. I'm just left with the sight of Reid coughing and spitting and streaming out a crimson red. The last thing I hear is a woman's cry.

"Get that f-cking paramedic here, now!" And with that, I'm yanked outside, the blaring sirens behind me.

And to think that our short-lived romance could easily be ended by his death, and not mine.


	3. Chapter 3

I can't sleep tonight. I keep thinking of the bruises scattered along his strong face, and the cuts everywhere. And the crimson dripping from his mouth, seeping on the floor and staining his black shirt as he collapsed down to his knees in pain.

I shudder at the thought of him not surviving, clutching my feet to my stomach - making a tight ball - under the navy blue comforter covering me. I squeeze my eyes shut, but no matter how hard I try, I can't sleep.

It's already 3:52 and I can't do anything to help myself sleep. I imagine the bullet sailing through Reid, and then me, killing us both as we press close together. Had the FBI and sh-t not stormed in last second, we'd be dead, with nothing but the feeling of comfort with us.

But that's not how it went. That's not how life goes.

"Spencer..." I mumble to myself before finally drifting off to sleep.

* * *

I call in sick to work the next morning, grumbling to my feet in exhaustion and frustration. I needed to see Reid, but I didn't know where he was or if...if...

I shake my head at the thought of him being gone and focus on the fact that he's going to be in the one and only area everyone here goes - the town hospital.

I arrive at the check-in desk fifteen minutes later.

"Is a Spencer Reid here?" I ask the small nurse hurriedly. She looks at me hesitantly before nodding and pointing down the hallway.

"On this floor, fifth door to the right." I thank her quickly and scurry off to see the one I've been thinking of all night. The minute I get to the room, I knock quickly before seeing a chubbier redhead and a blonde girl nearby.

"I'm surprised you're not spilling facts about all your bumps and bruises," I hear from inside the room. Someone else chuckles.

The redhead smiles, but the blonde looks confused and upset. She stands, crosses her arms, and glares at me. I'm hoping she is just here to protect him, but she seems to be overdoing it.

"Uh..." I say sheepishly. The voice of Reid arises first.

"Lucy?" He mumbles, drowsily opening his eyes. His frail appearance shocks me, with all the swelling on his face and monitors on him everywhere. He seems like he hasn't slept in forever by the way he seems hollowed out. And don't forget the dull stare he has now.

He glances to the two girls nearby, then returns to me with a weak smile. "S-sorry about yesterday. Kinda left you on a cliffhanger."

I can only smile and nod. I'm glad he's okay, but just seeing him like this is plucking me apart. _Am I seriously thinking all this? I met him a f-cking day ago and I'm already daydreaming about him and getting butterflies._

The redhead is the first to speak up again, breaking the motionless silence. "Oh, you're Lucy! The one who got stuck with him the past few days. I'm Penelope Garcia, and this is Jennifer Jareau, or JJ." She says perkily, smiling gleefully at me.

JJ sits back down, nodding briefly at me. She's obviously been in a tough situation or something before.

Garcia shifts awkwardly for a second, then says, "Well, I think we can trust you to be with him alone for a bit." She tilts her head a bit at JJ, who gives her a confirming nod. They both stand and walk briskly out the door.

I wait for them to shut the door and then move one of the chairs close to Reid's bedside. I let out a heavy sigh, close my eyes, and speak. "Spencer?" I hear him shifting, and open my eyes to see him looking at me with a shy smile.

"Lucy Hayes. Thank you for actually coming" He shuts his eyes for a moment, then opens them again. "I remember seeing you-" He pauses to breathe, "Being dragged in like a limp body. Do you remember how he got you?" He asks weakly.

"Yeah, I think he hit me with something and knocked me out." I answer somewhat nonchalantly, trying to dig into my thoughts.

"Oh. I'm glad he didn't end up keeping you in worse shape than me." He murmurs, probably more to himself than me. I smile, though. He speaks a bit louder now, "He thought you looked like JJ. And you do, just shorter." He puts on the smallest smile possible.

I laugh a tad at the short comment, rolling my eyes playfully. I focus back on him, dropping to seriousness. "How long were you there?" I ask.

"Four days." He shifts his eyes awkwardly and continues, "And he stabbed me the second day." He inhales for a long moment, like breathing is a challenge for him. "Nothing too major, like he knew where he was to strike and where not to. But he did puncture my lung. Hence the blood I coughed up."

I'm silent for a minute, just staring at his battered face and tousled short hair. and let's not get started on those high cheekbones.

"Um," I finally break into the silence, and my crazed trail of thought, "how long will you be here?"

"Another week. Just until they can be sure that my lung is healed."

"Oh." I sit up straight in the chair, dropping my eyes to my hands that are neatly in my lap. I bite the corner of my lower lip, hesitant to say anything else.

"I don't want you out on your own," He speaks up carefully. I raise my head with a puzzled look on my face.

"What do you mean?"

"My number." Reid snatches a piece of paper and scribbles on it with a pen nearby. "I expect a call or text every day." He raised one brow, reaching out to give me the paper. I stand and take it, thanking him briefly.

I go to leave, just to be interrupted by Reid snatching my arm lightly, pulling me back towards him. I furrow my brow, a bit confused by his sudden grasp. I look into his eyes, which show worry and exhaustion.

"Please stay safe," Reid tells me. He pulls me to his side, sits up, and says, "Promise me." And with that, he puts his lips to mine.


	4. Chapter 4

At ten, I realize how exhausted I am after a day of brief grocery shopping and sh-t. I fall into bed, pull up the covers, and muddle through all my thoughts. The one topic that keeps coming up is Spencer. My stomach lurches every time I think of him, and i struggle to relax. I remember our time at the hospital. I remember what he had said before he gently placed his lips on mine.

I have to call him. Have to, have to. I can't break a promise like that!

I scramble out of bed, practically pouncing on my nightstand to get my iPhone. I punch his number into my contacts and call him quickly. He picks up on the second ring.

"Lucy?" I hear mumbled through the phone. I exhale a giant breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Reid," I smile, giving a small chuckle of relief.

"I thought you wouldn't call."

"I keep my promises." I shut my eyes and slide back into bed. "I'll be sure to call you at least once a day."

There's silence for a moment, and I get a bit worried. Soon enough, he speaks again. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from giggling a storm as he speaks. Something about his awkward cockiness makes me go insane. I wonder if anything I do makes him insane?

"How're you feeling?" He asks me kindly.

"Better than you are. Friday they'll release you, right?"

"That's the day. I..." He pauses and mumbles something like 'nevermind' under his breath.

"You what?" I bite down on my lower lip anxiously, nervous that he's going to say something I don't want to hear. It makes me worry when he doesn't say anything for an even longer period of time, like he's contemplating what to say.

"Ah, just forget it. How about we grab a bite to eat that night?" He offers, a bit of embarrassment deep in his voice. I perk up at the sound of dinner, a wide grin crossing my face.

"Dinner would be lovely." I can't help but giggle this time.

"Alright, seven tomorrow. We can cook something up." It's almost like I can hear his smile. "I'll text you my address and we can chat more then."

"Sounds good. Thank you, I really do appreciate it."

"It's no problem. Bye, Hayes. I -" he stops himself again. "Good bye."

"B-Bye, Spencer."

And with that, the line goes dead and I toss my phone away. I don't even look at it when it buzzes, because I know it's just his address. And I need sleep if I'm going to make it to his house without being drowsier than hell. At least it doesn't take long for me to drift off to sleep.

* * *

The clock just doesn't seem to be working at all! It feels like each minute is another hour. I must be anticipating the little meetup a bit too much. I mean, all we're going to do is cook something and chat. Hopefully about something other than the kidnapping.

I eat lunch as slow as I can to waste as much time as possible. There's nothing to do in this cramped apartment, and I don't even have fish or anything. Just my handy dandy laptop to do some general web surfing with.

It's not long after lunch that my boss calls, and when I pick up, I expect a lecture on why I'm not over there in the office taking his calls about what to fix, but instead, he asks if I'm okay.

"Yes, I'm fine. I made it out pretty much unscathed, but I am terrified. I just... need to get away for a while."

"I understand, Hayes, you can have the week or two off. Just come whenever you're ready." He tells me. After a brief thank you and good bye, we hang up and I continue my day of boringness.

* * *

The minute my phone reads 6:50, I storm out of my house with nothing but my phone and keys to my little bitty car. I have put on some makeup, but not too much. My long blonde hair is straightened, and my dull blue eyes pop with the eyeliner.

Carefully, after a maybe seven minute drive, I arrive at his decent-sized house, pull into the driveway, and shut the door lightly. I quickly lock the black car before trudging up to his door. I has no doorbell, which isn't that big of an issue, so I knock quickly before waiting nervously.

It's short after that the door swings open, and a less swollen, refreshed-looking version of Spencer Reid stands in front of me. And he's smiling at me, so I have to smile back.

"Hey," He greets, sounding like he's a mixture of surprised and breathlessness.

"Hi." I say the same breathless way.

* * *

**Agh, another super short chapter! Don't worry, they'll be getting thicker soon. (: Next chapter is done and should be posted tomorrow, if I have the time.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Come in," Reid smiles, stepping out of the way and motioning me inside. I scoot in awkwardly, wearing a sheepish smile. "It's good to see you." He tells me.

"Agreed. I'm glad you're okay." I hug him for a moment, resting my head on his shoulder. _We met two damn days ago! I can't be totally all over him after two days._

I let him go, step back, and tap his bruised cheekbone lightly. He shifts away, but only a bit. I drop my hand. "It still hurts?"

"Well, it usually takes three to four days for any minor bruise to lose its pain, and judging on how badly smashed it is, it'll take longer than that." He pauses briefly. "And the meds I was given only help with repairing my wounds, not numbing them."

"I see," I tilt my head a bit, curious as to how he knows so much. "A bit of a knowledge pit, I'm assuming?" I put on a small grin.

Reid shifts awkwardly for a moment before peaking again. "I know more than I should, really. The team always said I'm annoying when I talk so much." He shrugs, showing that he does agree with them by nodding.

"Well, I don't think I'll mind it."

He laughs, shaking his head cutely. "Alright, whatever you say. Shall we get cooking?"

"We shall," I agree, giggling a bit as he walks down the hallway after shutting the door behind me. I follow to a rather modern kitchen, with black granite counter tops with greyish cabinets and a small island.

He props himself up onto the counter and looks at me with an arched brow. "So," He begins, "I can't cook."

I roll my eyes at him and say, "Ah, f-ck you. I'll make something then, and you can help me work these things," I say, tapping the oven with my foot.

"Okay. I can get us some wine." He offers.

"Wine sounds good. You're allowed to drink after all...that?" I ask, quite concerned.

"No. But I'm still gonna." Reid answers nonchalantly. I chuckle at him as I scan his cupboards, finding everything from mac and cheese to stir fry sh-t.

I glance over at him and ask, "So, stir fry sound good?" He turns, holding a bottle of grape wine in his hand and the cork in another. He nods, walks to a cabinet nearby, and lifts out two wine glasses. He sets them down and pours the dark wine in.

The minute the stir fry is all done, we sit at the island and begin chattering again.

"What do you do for your...job?" I ask it more out of general curiosity than anything else.

"I'm kinda the intelligence of our small team. I graduated high school when I was twelve. Sounds crazy, right? I've got a lot of PhDs, too. I joined the BAU at twenty-two. Physical sh-t, I can't handle well, but anything with brains I can take." He seems not to care about any of what he just said, but it's fascinating how eyes can show differences - I can see that he is proud of himself, but not to the point where it's selfish. And I personally think it's pretty cute. "What about you?"

"I work as a large animal veterinarian's assistant. You know, taking calls, getting medicines and shots ready, that stuff." I shrug, rather bored by my failure of a life.

"I think that's pretty cool," Reid says with a grin. "I've always wanted to work with animals."

"Really?"

He just nods with twinkling eyes.

"Lucy, do you live in your apartment alone?" Reid asks.

"Yeah. No animals, no people. My parents live way off in Europe on a study." I tell him with a shrug.

"Oh. I...well, I don't think you should be alone. Not after that psychotic b-tch came after you." He says sternly.

"Didn't your friends get him?"

"Yeah, but he got away once, he can always get out again. Plus, who knows who else is running out there, after you and me. I'm sure that guy has a whole cult sorted out." He coughs for a second.

Pulling us out of the darkening thoughts, I say, "You okay?" Concern bleeds through my voice, and he knows what I'm talking about. His coughs worry me every time.

He nods, expressing no worry or stress at all. "It just...hurts. Seven stabs in me, and they all ache. But that's really it."

I want to believe him, but I still fear for the worst. I purse my lips and look down at the food for a moment before speaking.

"Do you live alone?"

"Yeah. Just me here."

"I don't think you should be alone."

* * *

**Dun dun duuunnnnnn**

**Sorry, it's short again and really does nothing to move the story forward.**

**Six will come soon, hopefully!**


	6. Chapter 6

We are silent for a long time. I always leave things extremely awkward. It doesn't help that I'm uncouth, either. I drop my eyes to my pale hands, which are even whiter than the rest of my skin. I clutch the fork in my hand. I don't know what else to say, and it makes me relieved when Reid speaks up first.

"Would you like to stay the night?" He offers me politely. I can feel his eyes on me, so I look up and meet them. He shifts awkwardly, waiting for a response from me. I open my mouth to speak, then shut it, feeling a bit flattered. Reid speaks again.

"I mean, not like a..." He pauses, as if redirecting his thoughts. "Well, just not sexually or anything." He stifles a chuckle at his own words, and I can't help but giggle along. And my face is heating up too. I blush so easily, it ain't even funny. Well, it is.

"Sure, of course. I mean, There's nothing better for me to do." I shrug, trying to act composed. Is it possible to love someone a week after meeting them?

He smiles, sets down his fork, and leans back in the stool. "Had you said no, it would make everything more awkward than it already was." He chuckles.

I nod my head, beaming at his truthful statement. Reid stands and sets his plate in the sink. He leans up against the table and watches me poke at the veggies. I glance up at him, watching him arch one brow. "What?" I inquire.

"Don't like vegetables?" He asks. "Why not?"

"I like them," I retort, giving a playful sneer. "I just can't eat anything else right now." He smirks, shakes his head, and offers to take the plate. I push it towards him with a small thank. He tosses it into the sink as well.

"It was good." He mumbles to me. I tilt my head and furrow my brow, unsure of what he meant. "The food, I mean. You're quite the cook." He pauses for a little cough. "Did you know that stir-fry is the English a term for _two_ types of Asian cooking methods?"

I look at him with a small smile, which he must read as what I was thinking, because he says similar to my thoughts. "Sorry, just my inner geekiness shinin' through." I laugh at his apology.

"Geekiness is nothing to be apologetic about." I say with a polite smile. "In fact, I think it's rather cute. It's rare to find someone who knows what they're talking about." Reid smiles and shakes his head at that.

"Whatever you say,"

"F-ck off." I laugh, sticking out my tongue. He does mimics me, placing his hands on his hips while sticking his tongue out. Without taking my eyes off of him, I waltz around the island, stand besides him with crossed arms, and playfully shoving him with my shoulder. He pretends to stumble over a bit, then scowls at me.

"God, such a prick you are." He shoves me back with his shoulder.

"Hey! You're stronger than me." I squeak, sidestepping a bit.

"But I'm still scrawnier than I should be," He says with a smirk. Charmingly, he takes my hands and twirls me around with the old smirk replaced by a goofy smile.

"Yet you can still toss me around!" My sides hurt from all the laughing and giggling, yet I still try to match his steps, like a dance. It's almost like he's practiced, but I'm sure he's never danced before. Neither have I, might I add.

Still laughing, Reid speaks quickly. "This is almost the same as playing the piano!" I give him a muddled look and he stops his dancing to explain. "They're both pretty much just mathematical rhythms. Here, let me show you." He releases one of my hands, gently squeezes the other, and leads me to what must be a living room. A grand piano, black, sits with a layer of dust covering it.

He pulls out the matching black stool, seats me in it, and sits beside me. He taps one key, which hums out an even, sweet tune. He continues to run through keys like they each are summoning him and beckoning him to continue to play. I grin, watching his fingers move carefully.

"So, you play." I murmurs softly.

"Not really. Mathematical rhythms, remember?" He chuckles at me, continuing to breeze through different notes and dumbfound me. He only stops when his cell buzzes. He glances down at it and lifts it for me to read quickly. The text is from Garcia.

"We've got a bit of an issue," He mumbles to me carefully. "Someone has their eyes on us."


	7. Chapter 7

Reid speaks in a hushed tone, almost like he's whispering. But not quite. He acts calm and perfectly relaxed like he was just telling me something about himself. I can tell he wants me to act the same, so I quickly speak up with randomness.

"So, you graduated at twelve." I begin averagely. "I take it you were focused more on school than anything else?"

He shifts awkwardly, then nods to confirm. "Yeah. Well, when I was still in school, I was bullied. Like, a lot." He glances around the room, only stopping on a bookshelf nearby. He walks to it, lifts a book, and shows me it. "They - high schoolers - tried to burn this book. See?" The bottom left corner of the thick rusty red book is charred. I can't read the title, it's so old.

"Wow, that fucking sucks." I say sympathetically. He sets the book down in a different spot, on top of the shelf near a lamp.

"I wish they had burnt it." He mutters under his breath, but purposely loud enough for me to hear. "It was just a stupid Sociology book with nothing too helpful." He informs me. "They also tied me to a pole - stripped naked - just for the fun of it."

I realize what he's doing. He set the book perfectly aligned as if blocking something. Whatever is being used to watch us is now blocked by the book. He's playing normal and I have to play along.

Reid's phone vibrates again. Garcia texted him again. He hands me the phone skeptically.

_You've blocked the camera but there's more. You've got to get out of there now. Go to the jet._

Garcia sure knew how to avoid all the text language. Props to her, because I can't text without using "u" and "lol".

My eyes widen, but I keep everything else calmed. He bites the corner of his lip and sighs. He drops his shadowed, solemn eyes down to the wooden floor below us.

"Well," He states blankly, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Time to meet the rest of the team." He offers his hand, which I take apprehensively. I want to ask where we're going, but I already know. And boy, do I hate planes.

The only things we make sure we have are our phones and car keys. We take his truck, a dark crimson color with windows tinted so much it's hard to even look out of them. I'm sure it's for protection against whoever is still after him, especially that kidnapper's posse.

It's maybe a fifteen minute ride listening to some random popular songs on the radio in the silence. I don't mind, considering music is a thing that doesn't matter to me; I have no real preference for genres at all. Same with books. And movies. Pretty much everything sways in every which way for me.

We hop onto the jet at nine p.m. or so and we first chat with Garcia.

"Oh, Reid, I can't believe we found the cameras. Kid, are you alright?" She inspects Spencer like he was attacked again. She only turns to me when he says he's perfectly fine. "And what about you? I'm sorry we've dragged you into this." She tells me. I tell her I'm okay and there's nothing to worry about.

Derek Morgan is the next person to file onto the plane. He hugs Garcia briefly and then turns to Reid. "Hey, pretty boy, your face isn't half as puffy anymore!" He chuckles a bit, and so does Reid. "Still got some tiny scars from the cuts."

"I'm fine, don't you worry about me." Reid laughs.

"If a line of purple and black along your jaw and slices on your cheekbones are define under your terms of fine," Garcia sighs, "Then you sir have finally lost it completely."

"The kid's just like Einstein, he's already lost it!" Morgan snorts.

JJ and one other man slide in before the door shuts behind them, sealing us in. The man is tall, with short dark hair and a stern, almost blank expression. I shift uncomfortably in my seat next to Reid.

"I see you tagged along," He tells me. "I'm Hotchner." He sits down across from us, followed by JJ. Morgan and Garcia sit nearby.

"Hotch for short," Garcia announces. Hotch glances at her, and all she does is give him a cheap smile.

"Where's everyone else?" Reid asks, a hint of curiosity laced through his voice. _Everyone else?_ I think with confusion.

JJ and Garcia shrug in unison, Hotch raises his eyebrows, and Morgan speaks up. "Stayed behind. They're tracking the cameras." He sounds uneasy like he was keeping more from us. Reid can tell too, because he meets my eyes for a brief moment with a look of betrayal.

It's silent for a while before the jet roars to live. I tense up, clutching the arm rests fearfully.

"You okay?" Reid whispers while the rest of the team talks of randomness. I nod, but he gives me a cold look of "really now?". I chew on the inside of my cheek before speaking.

"I've always hated planes." I muttered under my breath.

"I have too." He tells me with a small grin. He sets his hand over mine lightly and crosses the other one over his stomach relaxingly. And with that, we take off to the skies, raising above the flat clouds and over the busy city lights below.


	8. Chapter 8

The minute the plane levels out, JJ pulls out a bunch of files and Garcia lifts a laptop. Reid went to get himself some handy dandy coffee. I mean, it's never too late for coffee, right?

"Where are we going?" I ask like a child would.

"Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin." Garcia tells me. I feel a knot in my throat form at the familiar city name. My chest aches at the strange pronunciation they give Sauk - like it's a sock, rather than with a small 'w' hidden within it. Happens a lot, really, and every time it widens the gap in my heart that's been longing for that city.

"Why?" Reid asks normally.

"Three younger women, assumed late twenties, have been found in similar locations around ponds. Each of them have a large portion of hair snipped off, and they're all blondes." Hotch informs us, reading over JJ's shoulder to see whatever else we have.

"Where is their hair cut?" Reid asks, the gears in his head shifting at full speed.

"Around the left ear." JJ says. She tosses him a file filled with pictures. Each girl looks the same; they each have small noses and the same platinum blonde, straight hair. They seem to have some muscle tone, and all wear short sleeves and average-length shorts. They're curled in a tight ball on their right side next to the edge of a pond. The hair around their left ear - an inch away on either side. "East" is scribbled in sharpie on the pictures. Most likely what side the bodies were dumped.

"Well, I doubt it's much of a rape situation." Reid points out, interrupting my studying. We all give him a puzzled look, which he explains through his reasoning. "There is really no struggle. No bruises or even tattered clothes. They all appear to be drowned and positioned. I mean, the hair looks wet, and so do their clothes. How long apart were their deaths? Any missing reports?"

"They were reported missing two days apart," Hotch says.

"Any alcohol or drugs in their system? Maybe he picked them out of a bar or something and made sure they were drunk beyond belief." Spencer suggests carefully.

"They all had ketamine within them in heavy doses, I've heard," JJ sighs collectively, "So I bet they weren't a fight to deal with."

Reid nods, already deep in processing-mode. He looks concerned, like every corner will have another lead to another mystery.

"Lucy, I must say I'm glad you tagged along." I hear Hotch mumble coolly while flipping through dull files.

I stare at Hotchner with my brows furrowed and my head tilted. "What do you mean?"

"You're from Sauk Prairie." Garcia butts in. I whip my head over to face her, and she seems taken aback by my sudden burst of appall. "I had to look you up! I can't let some random girl hang around kiddo over there," She puts her hands up as if surrendering.

There's a pause. No one speaks for a minute, but finally Reid breaks in.

"Lucy, JJ, they all look like you two!" His voice is shrill, almost like shock riddled through every aspect of him.

"_Thank_ you!" Morgan sighs with annoyance. "The man who kidnapped you two, Jeremiah Alberquen, positioned his victims the same way. They weren't all blondes, but he still did everything the same, only in a different state." He pauses for a moment. "Now someone wants JJ or Lucy and must've put cameras in your house, Reid, because Penelope hacked into them somehow."

Reid narrows his eyes, deep in thought. "So Alberquen has a bit of a group of followers. Is it possible that the followers are somehow related to him? Or at least know him well?" He suggests. "Or even... They might know Hayes." His voice drops a bit, like he's afraid that what he has pointed out might be the truth he doesn't want to believe.

"It would make sense," Hotch inputs.

"How would they know it was me that was kidnapped?" I ask.

"Garcia!" Reid shouts, making me nearly jump out of my skin. Garcia is surprised too, judging on how wide her eyes got. "Find out where Alberquen was born."

"On it." She immediately began to type a jumble of letters into her laptop. The speed at which she types is practically stellar.

JJ is the next to speak up. "Reid, give us some sort of mindworks."

Reid arches an eyebrow before speaking like the genius he is. "If Alberquen was born and raised in Sauk Prairie, what are the odds of him knowing Lucy? He must have friends in Wisconsin just as crazy as him that would be willing to do the same after he was captured, so they used his signature, the hair cutting, and developed a new one - making their victims look like Lucy."

"But... That doesn't make sense. Why would they know Hayes had been kidnapped, rather than JJ?" Morgan asks.

"Social media," Reid announces.

"Reid is right." Garcia speaks with worry laced through her quavering voice. "Alberquen is from the city we're headed to." The brightly decorated woman looks up at me. Consternation is revealed through her dark eyes.

It's Reid who speaks up again. "What if he knew that he'd kidnapped Lucy, not JJ? And he just made it seem like he'd thought of her as JJ?"

"It's possible," JJ says quietly. "But what would he want with Hayes?" All eyes fall on me. I glance from JJ to Hotch, then Reid. My eyes land last on Morgan and Garcia. She looks sad, almost sorry for me. And I know why. Whatever she had seen in her research of me exposed more than just my hometown.

I look back at Reid guiltily and shrug. I feel terrible for pretending like I don't know, because I know. It's gonna hurt him when - if - he finds out, whether through me or someone else. I shrug, then say, "Maybe he knew me when I was younger."

It pains me to know that Garcia has more knowledge of me than she exposes. It pains me that I have to lie to the team, to Spencer. But it's for the greater good, or so I hope.


	9. Chapter 9

**Finally, a decent-lengthed chapter! Sorry for the shortness of the others, it's all still a drafting process. Don't worry, they'll get less confusing and more in-depth! Love y'all :)**

* * *

We land abruptly a quarter after twelve. Everyone but Reid was fast asleep, myself included. We were chatting about the case for a good while until about 10:30. Garcia and Morgan were the first to crash, snuggled close and comfortable, followed by JJ then me. Hotch fell asleep sometime in the mix. I didn't strain too much attention on him - he seems to serious. How prejudice of me, but still truthful.

Spencer looks worn. He's got his hands covering his face like stress was taking more of a toll on him than ever before. He is cringing, almost, by the way he's constantly hunching over and struggling to focus. He keeps pressing on his temples. I want to help but I can't say anything other than,

"Are you...alright?" I immediately regret that. Of course he's not, and I just set myself up to a fuck-over!

"Yeah, I am. Just having some headaches." He tells me painfully. He's still hurting, even after he tries to straighten out and look positive. I give him a longing look, which he returns. I drop my gaze.

"What do you need?" I ask him considerately. "I'll get you whatever you need." I mumble to him. He just shakes his head, mumbling something along the lines of,

"What you'd be getting me is too risky." I lean back in my seat, taken aback by his murmuring that leaves me confused about whether or not I had heard correctly. I don't speak for a while. Everyone stirs awake and within a minute, we're all packed up and sluggishly exiting in a monotonous pattern. I chew on the inside of my cheek nervously. I'm here where look-alikes are being murdered, and more are bound to be found. Maybe I'm next?

Garcia speaks slowly to Hotch, hushed enough for the rest of us to not hear. I worry that she's spilling that little fact one by one and setting me up for disaster. I mean, who knows, she can be some backstabbing bitch who has all the access to the world! I cross my arms from the chill of thirty-some degree weather. I didn't really prepare to return to this place, so I was just wearing a plain white tee and some black shorts.

Next time I'll come prepared.

* * *

We stop at a lonely police station, where more files and bullshit I don't understand is handed to us. I recognize some of the officers, but none of them seem to recognize me. Good, I've grown or changed enough to be unrecognizable. Which is a shocker, considering this place was like an unfortunate second home for me.

Spencer notices me dozing off and gently nudges my side, which makes me wiggle away from the non-purposeful tickle. He arches a brow and a small smirk tips the corner of his lips. He doesn't do anything at first, but the minute we're outside of the station and behind the trail of team members, he waltzes behind me and tickles both of my sides, which makes me just about lose my lunch in giggles and squeaks.

"Reid!" I snap through laughter, slapping his hands. None of the team notices us through their own clamor. I turn to him, walking backwards protectively, holding out my hands to catch his. "You poke me again and I will-" He doesn't have to do anything else to make me jump out of my skin. Hotch does that for him.

"Reid! Hayes! Pay attention because we're gonna need you two as our pawns," He doesn't even need to look at us for the two of us to straighten back out side by side. All Spencer does is bump me with his hip slightly. I try to ignore him, leaving my only response a trail of giggles. _Why the hell am I so giggly, flirtatiously crazy?_

I clench my jaw when I see guns everyone has in their pockets. Garcia, JJ, Hotch, everyone. Reid has his own, too. I'm the only one left unarmed, which scares me. Yet at the same time, it makes me feel protected. I mean, hell, I would probably shoot my foot with a gun even if it was aimed dead at the sky.

* * *

"Garcia, how did you discover the cameras in my house?" Reid asks a few minutes later when we arrive at a happy little area of Prairie du Sac with suspicion and curiosity laced through his voice. I nod my head, giving Penelope a concerned gaze. She just raises an eyebrow and purses her lips.

"I just did a little electronic snooping. Y'know, going through the phones in your house and your laptop. Then I stumbled upon quite a few cameras, and from the sounds of it, they must've been small. I'm not sure how they were placed there, but I knew it wasn't like you guys placed them. So I tried to be a secretive little savior and texted you." She shrugs, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Spencer crosses his arms, a duller glaze over his eyes. Obviously he wasn't happy with her snooping, but yet again, she did save us from what could've been a world of fuckin' pain.

* * *

Fear prickles through me as Hotchner blabbers the plan to us. There's no question about Reid and myself being a few pawns in their game. The bait to their lines. The victims to their plan.

"They're hunting you, Lucy, and Reid seems to be someone they either want to eliminate or keep a close eye on. We'll be spending a while here, observing the onlookers who take interest in you two. They'll probably hit you guys before any other look-alikes. So unless someone else gets kidnapped before we find them, this should work out." Hotchner tells us firmly. "And you will both be armed at all times. Garcia will have constant watch and we'll call occasionally."

"So what, we're just left out in the open?" Reid asks with suspicion rising in his voice.

"Unfortunately so," Garcia informs us sincerely.

"But don't worry, there's much more to this. It's just information we must keep closed until it gets to that point." Something secretive, and I know it all too well, is hidden in Hotch's voice. I give him a dull stare that makes him look away to the distance, where a lonely Blue Spoon stands. I used to eat there every few days, when open campus was allowed before the Juniors ruined it for us. "That's your first stop, and you're sticking more in Prairie Du Sac than Sauk City." He nods at us sternly. "Prairie is where most of the missing reports have followed up. And their locations, which seem to be randomized."

Morgan pulls something out of his pocket and offers it to me. A small handgun, black, rests in his hand, like it's anxious to spring to live and get in action. Which, with me holding it, will never happen. "You've shot before," He notifies of his knowledge about me.

"Yeah, shotguns and rifles! Not little bitty things." I say glumly, taking the weapon and stuffing it in my back pocket. Obviously it's a bit big, but until we can get a holder, I'm stuck with this. Morgan chuckles.

"It's just as simple. You'll figure it out." He says.

"Yeah, but not before removing one of my feet!" I retort. All he does is roll his eyes.

"Go on, guys, and keep in touch." JJ tells us, shooing us like a mother tosses her children outside. I fumble with the gun in my pocket for a moment, then relaxingly walk close to Reid to the nearby building.

* * *

**Sorry everything's a scattered mess at the moment! It's just a characteristic I gave it. Many questions will be answered soon!**


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